Mamata attacks centre but goes mum on Modi

Purulia (West Bengal): A day after Narendra Modi castigated her for becoming a ‘shahenshah’, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday preferred to attack the centre for financial non-cooperation but remain silent on the prime minister.

In sharp contrast to 2014 Lok Sabha polls campaigns where she consistently gunned for Modi, the Trinamool Congress supremo, canvassing for the party in Manbazar here, directed her firepower mostly towards the CPI-M-led Left Front and its tie up with the Congress.

“It has been two years they (the NDA government) came to power in Delhi but did nothing except for giving speeches. The centre only talks big… it has stopped all the money. Whatever money we were entitled to, has been stopped,” said Banerjee.

She also claimed that the central government has stopped funds for the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) meant for development of tribal and backward districts in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas.

“Had we got those funds we could have worked more for the welfare of the people,” said Banerjee, enumerating the various developmental schemes implemented by her government.

Blaming the erstwhile Left regime for “regular bloodshed” in Jangalmahal or the Maoist-affected areas of Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore districts, Banerjee credited her government for not only establishing peace in the region, but also turning into a sought after travel destination.

Addressing his maiden rally in the state for the assembly polls in Kharagpur in West Midnapore district, Modi launched a scathing on Banerjee and the Trinamool, raising the sting operation that showed a number of Trinamool leaders allegedly accepting bundles of cash.